Kaia Health COPD Pulmonary Rehabilitation App to be Commercialized in Europe

A new partnership

Kaia Health has entered into an exclusive partnership with global pharmaceutical company Chiesi Group to commercialize the Kaia Health Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Pulmonary Rehabilitation app in Europe. Under terms of the arrangement, the evidence-backed Kaia Health COPD digital therapeutic will be commercialized in key European markets in partnership with Chiesi Group.

The software-based Kaia Health COPD Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is accessed via an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet with an interface for motivational support that can be delivered by providers such as health coaches or healthcare professionals. The program provides a personalized, physical pulmonary-rehabilitation experience aimed at producing positive outcomes through behavioral changes.

“The Chiesi Group has a wealth of experience navigating the respiratory health landscape in Europe,” said Konstantin Mehl, Founder and President of Kaia Health. “Joining forces with Chiesi will expand patient access to evidence-based, digital physical pulmonary rehabilitation to help improve COPD patient care and quality of life.”

What is COPD?

COPD is a group of diseases that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD causes airflow blockage and breathing-related problems stemming from lung inflammation and damaged lung tissue. COPD can severely limit daily activities and work productivity, and it negatively impacts quality of life, including social behavior and sleeping patterns, according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Health Economics.

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world. An estimated 16 million Americans have COPD, and the condition is an enormous cost for the U.S. healthcare system, accounting for $32 billion per year in direct costs and $20.2 billion in indirect costs.

How the Kaia Health COPD app helps

Built on the Kaia Health chronic-disease digital-therapy platform, the Kaia Health COPD Pulmonary Rehabilitation app digitizes and delivers affordable, accessible, physical pulmonary rehabilitation—considered the gold standard in COPD—directly to patients’ homes on their smartphones.

“Our goal, both in Europe and the U.S., is to offer a solution that is patient-centric first, digital second,” said Stephan Huber, M.D., Kaia Health Chief Medical Officer. “As with our MSK Pain app, our COPD solution is a truly digitized version of key aspects of a physical rehabilitation therapy that aims to dramatically improve access to a proven behavioral intervention delivered in a scalable, patient-focused, digital format.”

Although COPD cannot be cured, quality of life can be improved with proper interventions. Pulmonary rehabilitation has been demonstrated to be highly effective at improving COPD patients’ health-related quality of life. It’s adoption is strongly encouraged by international guidelines, including guidelines from the European Respiratory Society and American Thoracic Society. Despite its effectiveness, pulmonary rehabilitation suffers from underutilization due to lack of access to in-center rehabilitation programs, a problem that has been magnified by the global crisis of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Kaia Health COPD Pulmonary Rehabilitation app delivers comprehensive education and customized daily training sessions along with mindfulness and stress-relief exercises, augmented with human coaching support and individualized therapy. The Kaia COPD app has been investigated in one pilot trial and is currently the subject of an ongoing randomized controlled trial in Europe. The Kaia Health COPD Pulmonary Rehabilitation app is CE Marked in Europe as a Class 1 medical device.

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To learn more about how we can empower your organization to minimize the impact of chronic disease, including COPD and musculoskeletal pain, while reducing medical spend, schedule a brief intro call or demo with our team.